Seeking the Gold (USA)
April 7, 1985 – July 28, 2016
Mr. Prospector (USA) x Con Game (USA), by Buckpasser (USA)
Family 5-c
April 7, 1985 – July 28, 2016
Mr. Prospector (USA) x Con Game (USA), by Buckpasser (USA)
Family 5-c
A tremendously talented, game and consistent horse, Seeking the Gold carried on a great rivalry with Forty Niner as a 3-year-old in 1988. Both sons of Claiborne Farm stallion Mr. Prospector, both also had family histories closely associated with Claiborne: Forty Niner was bred and owned by Claiborne, while Seeking the Gold was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps, whose family has boarded its mares at Claiborne for generations. After Forty Niner retired at the end of 1988, Seeking the Gold seemed poised to take over in the older male division but was himself felled by injury in the 1989 Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1) and retired to Claiborne. He was an important sire and broodmare sire.
Race record
15 starts, 8 wins, 6 seconds, 0 thirds, US$2,307,000
1988:
1989:
Assessments
Rated at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1988, 2 pounds below champion Risen Star.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1989, 1 pound below champion Blushing John.
As an individual
A bay horse, Seeking the Gold stood 16 hands. He had an excellent shoulder and high withers and the typical strong hindquarters and straight, strong hind leg bequeathed by Mr. Prospector. He was a game competitor on the track. As a stallion, Seek the Gold was quirky and often difficult to handle in the breeding shed and was quite territorial about his stall. He did best when kept to a set routine.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Seeking the Gold sired 547 winners (56.7%) and 91 stakes winners (9.4%) from 965 foals of racing age per Jockey Club records. His influence as a sire leaned more toward his maternal grandsire Buckpasser than his sire Mr. Prospector, as his progeny stayed better than most of the Mr. Prospector tribe and were noted for their quality and scope.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Arion Pedigrees (www.arion.co.nz):
Per The Blood-Horse:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Bob and John (USA), Cape Town (USA), Cash Run (USA), Catch the Ring (CAN), Dream Supreme (USA), Dubai Millennium (GB), Favorite Funtime (USA), Flanders (USA), Gold Tiara (USA), Heavenly Prize (USA), Jazil (USA), Lujain, Meiner Love (USA), Mutakddim (USA), Oh What a Windfall (USA), Play the Gold (USA), Pleasant Home (USA), Secret Savings (USA), Seeking the Pearl (USA), Victory Ride (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Better Lucky (USA), Blame (USA), Catch the Thrill (CAN), Dancing Forever (USA), Good Reward (USA), Lindalevesolta (ARG), Omaha Beach (USA), Pine Island (USA), Point of Entry (USA), Pure Prize (USA), Seeking the Dia (USA), Surfside (USA), Take Charge Brandi (USA), Up With the Birds (CAN)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky at Claiborne Farm, Seeking the Gold was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps. He was trained by Shug McGaughey. He entered stud in 1990 at Claiborne as the property of a syndicate. He was pensioned in November 2008 and was humanely destroyed due to the infirmities of old age on July 28, 2016.
Pedigree notes
Seeking the Gold is inbred 5x5 to Discovery, Bull Dog, and Blue Larkspur. He is a full brother to Miner's Game, dam of Grade 3 winner Survivalist (by Danzig) and stakes winner Power Game (by Dixie Union) and second dam of Grade 2 winner Nefertini and Grade 3 winner Awesome Chic. He is also a full brother to Looking for Gold, second dam of Australian multiple Group 3 winner Gamble Me. He is a half brother to 1988 Remsen Stakes (USA-G1) winner Fast Play (by Seattle Slew) and to 1987 Jamaica Handicap (USA-G3) winner Stacked Pack (by Majestic Light). He is also a half brother to Tricky Game (by Majestic Light), dam of multiple Grade 2 winner King Cugat (by Kingmambo); second dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Rey de Cafe, Grade 3 winner Crespo, and listed stakes winner Tricky Causeway; and third dam of Japanese Group 3 winners Strong Garuda and Not Formal. In addition, Seeking the Gold is a half brother to Gambling Fool (by Majestic Light), dam of Japanese stakes winner Zafolia (by Gone West).
Seeking the Gold's dam Con Game is out of the juvenile stakes winner and excellent producer Broadway (by Hasty Road) and is a half sister to 1967 American champion 2-year-old filly Queen of the Stage (second dam of Grade 2 winner Fabulous Time and third dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Lyphard's Ridge), the high-class multiple stakes winner Reviewer, and stakes winner Will Hays, all by Bold Ruler. She is also a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Great White Way (by Court Martial). Broadway, in turn, is out of the Challedon mare Flitabout and is a half sister to 1952 Spinaway Stakes winner Flirtatious (by Menow; dam of the high-class steeplechaser The Sport, by Ambiorix); to 1961 Mother Goose Stakes winner Funloving (by Tom Fool); to stakes-placed Medici (by Bold Ruler), dam of Grade 3 winner Unknown Heiress (by Bagdad) and stakes winner Out of the Park (by Hitting Away); and to Erratic (by Better Self), dam of stakes winner Fool's Error (by Dunce).
Photo credit
Photo taken by Avalyn Hunter at Claiborne Farm in November 2006.
Last updated: June 13, 2023
Race record
15 starts, 8 wins, 6 seconds, 0 thirds, US$2,307,000
1988:
- Won Super Derby (USA-G1, 10FD, Louisiana Downs)
- Won Dwyer Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Belmont)
- Won Peter Pan Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Belmont)
- Won Swale Stakes (USA, 7FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 2nd Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Travers Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Wood Memorial Invitational (USA-G1, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Haskell Invitational Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Gotham Stakes (USA-G2, 8FD, Aqueduct)
1989:
- 2nd Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1, 8FD, Belmont)
Assessments
Rated at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1988, 2 pounds below champion Risen Star.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1989, 1 pound below champion Blushing John.
As an individual
A bay horse, Seeking the Gold stood 16 hands. He had an excellent shoulder and high withers and the typical strong hindquarters and straight, strong hind leg bequeathed by Mr. Prospector. He was a game competitor on the track. As a stallion, Seek the Gold was quirky and often difficult to handle in the breeding shed and was quite territorial about his stall. He did best when kept to a set routine.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Seeking the Gold sired 547 winners (56.7%) and 91 stakes winners (9.4%) from 965 foals of racing age per Jockey Club records. His influence as a sire leaned more toward his maternal grandsire Buckpasser than his sire Mr. Prospector, as his progeny stayed better than most of the Mr. Prospector tribe and were noted for their quality and scope.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 2nd on the American broodmare sire list in 2010; 7th in 2008.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1994.
Per Arion Pedigrees (www.arion.co.nz):
- 2nd on the North American broodmare sire list in 2010; 4th in 2012 and 2013; 5th in 2015; 6th in 2014; 10th in 2011.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 10th on the American general sire list in 2005.
- 3rd on the American broodmare sire list in 2009; 4th in 2010; 6th in 2012 and 2013; 7th in 2014 and 2015.
- Led the American freshman sire list in 1993.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 2nd on the American general sire list in 2000; 10th in 2005.
Notable progeny
Bob and John (USA), Cape Town (USA), Cash Run (USA), Catch the Ring (CAN), Dream Supreme (USA), Dubai Millennium (GB), Favorite Funtime (USA), Flanders (USA), Gold Tiara (USA), Heavenly Prize (USA), Jazil (USA), Lujain, Meiner Love (USA), Mutakddim (USA), Oh What a Windfall (USA), Play the Gold (USA), Pleasant Home (USA), Secret Savings (USA), Seeking the Pearl (USA), Victory Ride (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Better Lucky (USA), Blame (USA), Catch the Thrill (CAN), Dancing Forever (USA), Good Reward (USA), Lindalevesolta (ARG), Omaha Beach (USA), Pine Island (USA), Point of Entry (USA), Pure Prize (USA), Seeking the Dia (USA), Surfside (USA), Take Charge Brandi (USA), Up With the Birds (CAN)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky at Claiborne Farm, Seeking the Gold was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps. He was trained by Shug McGaughey. He entered stud in 1990 at Claiborne as the property of a syndicate. He was pensioned in November 2008 and was humanely destroyed due to the infirmities of old age on July 28, 2016.
Pedigree notes
Seeking the Gold is inbred 5x5 to Discovery, Bull Dog, and Blue Larkspur. He is a full brother to Miner's Game, dam of Grade 3 winner Survivalist (by Danzig) and stakes winner Power Game (by Dixie Union) and second dam of Grade 2 winner Nefertini and Grade 3 winner Awesome Chic. He is also a full brother to Looking for Gold, second dam of Australian multiple Group 3 winner Gamble Me. He is a half brother to 1988 Remsen Stakes (USA-G1) winner Fast Play (by Seattle Slew) and to 1987 Jamaica Handicap (USA-G3) winner Stacked Pack (by Majestic Light). He is also a half brother to Tricky Game (by Majestic Light), dam of multiple Grade 2 winner King Cugat (by Kingmambo); second dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Rey de Cafe, Grade 3 winner Crespo, and listed stakes winner Tricky Causeway; and third dam of Japanese Group 3 winners Strong Garuda and Not Formal. In addition, Seeking the Gold is a half brother to Gambling Fool (by Majestic Light), dam of Japanese stakes winner Zafolia (by Gone West).
Seeking the Gold's dam Con Game is out of the juvenile stakes winner and excellent producer Broadway (by Hasty Road) and is a half sister to 1967 American champion 2-year-old filly Queen of the Stage (second dam of Grade 2 winner Fabulous Time and third dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Lyphard's Ridge), the high-class multiple stakes winner Reviewer, and stakes winner Will Hays, all by Bold Ruler. She is also a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Great White Way (by Court Martial). Broadway, in turn, is out of the Challedon mare Flitabout and is a half sister to 1952 Spinaway Stakes winner Flirtatious (by Menow; dam of the high-class steeplechaser The Sport, by Ambiorix); to 1961 Mother Goose Stakes winner Funloving (by Tom Fool); to stakes-placed Medici (by Bold Ruler), dam of Grade 3 winner Unknown Heiress (by Bagdad) and stakes winner Out of the Park (by Hitting Away); and to Erratic (by Better Self), dam of stakes winner Fool's Error (by Dunce).
Photo credit
Photo taken by Avalyn Hunter at Claiborne Farm in November 2006.
Last updated: June 13, 2023